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Excellent Device

This Dyson is extremely easy to use as it has very basic functions of hold the trigger in when you want the cleaner to go into suction mode. You proceed to hold the cleaner over whatever it is you are trying to clean such as crumbs on a cushion and this device will clean it right up in a matter of seconds.

This cleaner is very small in size size which lets it be easily used in any space necessary.

The vacuum cleaner is very hygienic as it is very easy to empty after each use and I find that it does not fill up extremely quickly as it holds quite a large amount of dirt and dust. This is still no where near as much as a normal cleaner but for such a small device it is a lot.

A whole range of attachments come with this cleaner and even replacements can be bought such as a battery which only costs in and around £30. The attachments consist of extra type of nozzle, a brush and a wand that lets you attach the cleaner to it easily and this means that instead of you having to bend down to clean the floor you can simply walk around like you normally do with a normal cleaner but it is far more maneuverable and easy to turn from left to right. There is also a turbo head that sucks up pet hairs from upholstery very easily.

This cleaner is very easy to move around rooms even those that have carpeted flooring as instead of having to fight with the machine to get it to move you can simply stop the suction and lift up and then forward or back slightly and it should resume working as normal.

This device is extremely light so if you have any medical problems with your muscles or find that your full sized cleaner hurts your back after long periods or even short periods of use then I would recommend getting one of these cleaners as I have not had problems with my back since I have been using it. You can barely feel the device when you are holding it and you can easily if you have cobwebs around your door frame reach up with this device and suck it up whereas with a main sized cleaner you can feel a lot more tension in the cord when your reaching up which can cause pains in your arms if you cannot get it or have to do this in several rooms.

This cleaner is as powerful as a full sized Dyson cleaner which is very surprising for the size of it as I was nervous about buying it because I was looking for something to clean up the likes of dog hair and small pieces of biscuits that can be tiresome to pick up by hand or with a brush and dustpan. I am pleased with this device as I have had it several months and have used it nearly every day. Nothing on my device has broke yet and there is no signs of wear and tear anywhere.

The battery lasts as long as stated and at sometimes I think that I actually get about fifteen minutes out of the battery instead of the ten as stated in the description of the item even when I do not stop and start very often.

You have to hold the trigger in to make the cleaner work which helps you to save battery power which means that really you can end up using it for longer than the stated time due to you can just walk around, find dirt and use the trigger. This means that in fifteen minutes you could have used the cleaner an overall five minutes so you could possibly get another room done before you need to charge it.

The cleaner and the charger take up very little space and I do not think that it would even be three to four feet in height by one to two feet wide. I keep mine in a room that is full of book cases, boxes, a computer and a sewing machine and I did not think that I could possibly fit anything else in this room until I bought this cleaner. The wall charger can be easily wall mounted and comes with a set of brackets to do so. The wall charger holds the attachments that come with the device and the cleaner just attaches onto the wall mount. It is easily supported by the charger even if it has the wand attached. The charger takes about three hours which is a long time if you only have the one cleaner and need to use it urgently but if you are only using it occasionally each day on dirty areas in a room then this will serve your purposes extremely well.

At roughly around £300 which is what I paid I think that this cleaner is a marvelous device and should be considered by anyone who just wants a small vacuum cleaner. I tend to use it on two rooms at a time but I do use my full sized Dyson cleaner on the rooms about once a week to once every two weeks. This device really keeps your rooms clean and I highly recommend it.

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A nice little machine I'm glad I bought it!

This little hoover is a diamond as far as I am concerned and I can use it for all sorts of little jobs. We are a busy house of 2 adults and 4 children there is always something to hoover up! It is so easy to use and empty that my 11 year old daughter reaches for it rather than the big Dyson when hoovering her room. We have got real wood flooring downstairs and generally I sweep dust into a pile and hoover the excess bits with the DC31. It is good on the stairs, although the suction is not as good as the big Dyson, it certainly picks up well enough without using the MAX feature. The only thing I found it let me down on was hoovering out the car. The suction was adequate with the MAX function, however, the time the battery lasted just wasn't enough (approx 6 minutes). I am not sure how long charging takes as I leave mine on charge all the time then it is always ready when I need it.

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A well designed, impressive gadget.

Just like its big brother, my other dyson, the DC31 is a truly wonderful product. It contains almost all the features of the larger models but with a small price tag and size. Please note:this cannot serve as your main vacuum.

Design : the silver and blue design is of the standard dyson style. Simple and functional. The vacuum is easy to take apart to clean. The filter needs to be cleaned regularly to ensure good suction and pick up and this is a simple job. Emptying the 'bag' is also very easy. One push of a button and the bottom opens and the contents fall out. Like other dyson proucts you can see what it is picking up and when it is full.

Usage: the dc31 has a total output time of between 5 and 10 minutes depending on what setting you have it on. The attachments provided mean you can tackle different types of job and pick the one most suitable to your needs. The vacuum is easy to hold and control and ergonomically designed. The suction power is good. It's not on par with the larger dyson models but for its size, is pretty impressive. It really can only be used for crumbs, dust and other extremely small particle clear ups. Anything bigger than about pea size will get stuck if you are using the hose add on which is the one we use the most.

Cleaning the car: we live in a flat so can get our large Hoover down to the car. Cleaning the car was a big decider in us getting this prouct. Unfortunately it doesn't perform as well as we would have liked on cleaning the floor of the car or the car mats. As the battery has a limited life, it has, in the past, died on me before I've finished the job.

Battery life : as previously mentioned it last between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the setting. The major drawback I have found is that there is now warning the battery is approaching the end of its life. We often get half way through a task when it dies. I think this is one of the main flaws, paired with the fact that you cannot use the vacuum whilst it is charging.

Value: there is no doubt that the DC31 is a great product. It cost us £149. To me, this is a huge amount of money for such a small product. I rarely see them on offer and even when I do, there isn't much off. I hope this lasts me forever as I would not go out and buy another one. The price is just too high to justify for an occasional vacuum. You still need an additional vacuum for proper household cleaning so I would say its not fantastic value for money despite it being an excellent product.

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Superb handheld vacuum

My husband bought this vacuum cleaner to replace an old dirt devil, which initially I thought was a waste of money, because we hardly used the dirt devil.

We do own a couple of full size Dyson vacuum cleaners and I don't think I would ever buy another brand , because I really rate the performance and the build quality, so I think this is why he decided upon this make . I personally would not have purchased this , because I think the major down side is the price and until now I wasn't aware of the price he paid , but I find it hard to justify a price tag of £124 - £150. Probably more when he bought it as this model is hard to find as they have brought out a newer model to replace it.

I have changed my mind as the reason I didn't think we needed a handheld is because I was basing this on what use we made of the dirt devil .We have had this for a number of years and I can say that I don't know how I would manage without it, because I use it nearly every day.

The Science bitDyson vacuum cleaners are renowned for having powerful suction and never losing suction. They use patented cyclone technology to achieve this and on most models you can see this in action as the dirt spins around as it is sucked into the clear plastic bin. Dyson claim they make the most powerful handheld vacuum cleaners and whilst I can confirm this is very powerful and more so than the Dort Devil I can't confirm how this stacks up against other models.Apparently the digital motor spins at 104,000 revs per minute which according to Dyson is 5 times faster than the engine in a Formula 1 racing car!It has a 22.5 volt lithium battery which charges 3 times faster than others.

The ProductThis particular model is a combination of mainly grey, purple and red plastic. It is 30cm (11.5") by 20cm (8") without the crevice tool and weighs 1.3kg. The unit feels well-made and is sturdy like most Dysons, the housing won't break or damage easily and it is built to last for years. The unit comes apart easily when you need to clean the filter, you simply press a button on the top of the unit and reassembling is just as easy.All the dust and dirt is captured in a clear plastic bin at the front of the unit which clearly indicates what the maximum amount is, so you know when to empty this.Before using this you will need to charge this for around 3 to 3.5 hours Simply attach the lead into the back and plug into a socket . We leave ours plugged in so it is always fully charged. One slight downside for me is that you can't use this while it is charging.

Performance This is really easy to use, simply hold the unit by the handle and squeeze the red button. When you use this a green light comes on. This particular model comes with a crevice tool; some have a brush converted although ours does not.What I like about this is it is very light at 1.3kg, so weighs slightly more than a bag of sugar and that weight is evenly distributed. It is fairly quiet and much quieter than a full size Dyson and you can get 10 minutes use out of one charge on high suction or 6 minutes on almost twice the suction. This doesn't sound like a lot of time, but for what I use this for it is plenty.I also find that I don't use the higher suction level as normal suction is powerful enough. This will suck up anything in its path from hard surfaces and will also pick up anything on the surface of carpets. I find this really easy to manoeuvre and easier to use that the tools on my full size Dyson, because you are not dragging or trying to manoeuvre a wand or hose.

I use this primarily for the following~ Pick up spills, like sugar and crumbs from floors and worktops.~ I have two dogs, one of which deposits huge quantities of hair every second of the day which gathers in clumps on any hard surface, so when I see a clump I grab this and suck it up. Much quicker and easier than a sweeping brush or getting out the vacuum.~ I use this to quickly pick up any debris on my sofas, chairs, cobwebs (that I can reach)~ If I do this regularly, I use it to clean the car carpets and seats as 10 minutes with this will pick up all the muck and hairs (dog). However if I haven't cleaned my car for a while, 10 minutes isn't long enough to do the whole car. ~ This is brilliant for doing the edges of stair carpets, picking up dust and debris between the stair spindles with the crevice tool. Something I find much easier than manoeuvring a full size vacuum cleaner up and down stairs. I don't have any of the additional accessories that you can get that go with this, so the crevice tool I do have isn't really suitable for doing large expanses of carpet so I can't do the whole stair carpet with this. To be honest at the price they charge Dyson should provide a full suite of tools as I am pretty sure that I could do my whole staircase with this handheld if I had a brush attachment.

I have used this a lot recently as I have injured my arm and find my normal vacuum too heavy and difficult to handle. So this has been a godsend and I have used this extensively to fill the gaps, as my hubby is currently responsible for vacuuming and he has not taken to this new responsibility well!

This is really easy to empty simply press the red button in the direction of the arrow and the bottom of the clear plastic bin opens fully and releases all the dirt. I really like this about Dysons as there are no bags to empty and as the bottom of the bin opens fully you don't have to get your hands dirty to empty this.

A 2 year parts and labour guarantee is included for UK customers.

Would I RecommendYes definitely. It is really pricy, probably 3 times more than other handhelds, but there really is no comparison between this and my old Dirt Devil. I hardly used that as it was unwieldy, you couldn't access or get into corners and I used to think I could suck the dirt up with a straw more effectively. Obviously I haven't tested any later models of cheaper alternatives so I can't compare performance. What I can say is that this Dyson lives up to its claims of being a really powerful lightweight easy to manoeuvre handheld that gives 10 minutes of great suction each charge. It is easy to use, easy to clean and empty, quite small and if you have it charged at all times it is brilliant for picking up crumbs spill and for me all the blooming dog hairs that accumulate and swirl around my floors. Brilliant for manoeuvring on staircases and I like to use this for a light clean of my car.

It could be improved. They should provide a full set of accessories and a smaller crevice tool for getting into the nooks and crannies down the side of car seats. Plus I think it would be good to be able to use while plugged in so a longer lead as well.

5 star performance but let down by the price so a star deducted

Price and AvailablilityThis has been replaced with a newer model but it is still available from online retailers priced , between £124 to £150. You can still buy accessories from Dyson for this model

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My best buy!

I have a really bad back, and when I was pregnant I also developed SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) which made getting up and down the stairs really painful, near on impossible at times. The last thing I wanted to do was carry my big hoover up and down the stairs all the time, but I didn't want to never hoover upstairs either!

My husband very sweetly thought of getting me a handheld hoover. The idea being that I could sit on the stairs to hoover thus easing my back a bit, and scoot down the stairs on my bottom (which I had to do anyway due to the SPD) whilst sitting down to hoover. Bless him, it was the best thing he ever bought!! Despite our daughter now being 2, I still use the handheld hoover on the stairs every time.

My husband chose the Dyson DC16 as it was the best model at the time, but within a year the battery started to give up and we ended up upgrading to the Dyson DC31. The DC31 is more expensive at around £150, but we love Dysons and think they are amazing so we bought it.

The charging time is about three hours, and when fully charged you get 10 minutes normal power or 6 minutes on super power. I only tend to use the boost button when I am cleaning something really messy like the car - the downside is then that I sometimes have to leave the job half done to recharge the hoover! But for cleaning the car it is not only handy but very very efficient. I tend to use the normal power setting the most, for cleaning up spills, bits of mud, crumbs, cat fur and even the piles I make after sweeping the floors. The suction is unbeatable - it is incredibly efficient and quick to use.

To charge the battery, you have a plug that goes into the mains, with a small adapter on the end which goes into a port on the handle of the Dyson. There is a light on the mains plug which will be red if the unit is failing to charge, green if it is charging, and off when it is ready.

The Dyson comes with a few attachments - a combination tool with a wide nozzle and a brush on the end, a long crevice tube and a motorised brush. The motorised brush is designed for getting deep into carpets and it really is brilliant on our shaggy rug. I find that the brush does not really get clogged (but then again I don't have any dogs, only cats) but occasionally a few hairs will remain on the bristles, but really 99% get sucked up which is fantastic compared to other hoovers.

There is a washable filter which I have never really needed to wash. To empty the Dyson you press the red button and the bottom of the hoover flips open on a hinge (do this over a bin as it all falls out!) - this is so quick and easy and much less messy!

All in all, this is by far the best handheld I've ever had. It beats my old Dyson (which had a dodgy battery) hands down! More than a year on with daily use it is still going strong. My best buy!

MY REVIEWS APPEAR ON CIAO AND DOOYOO UNDER USERNAME PINKPRINCESS24/244

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Dyson may be a quality name but their prices are more than steep, they're almost vertical

I like using handheld vacuum cleaners, maybe not like using but find it easier to get out for those small spills rather than having to drag out the upright monster that hides under the stairs.Anyway, there are many many hand held vacuum cleaners on the market these days, with some being as cheap as chips, so to speak, whilst others can make a bit of a dent in your bank balance. It is the latter of the type that I am going to talk about today, due to the fact that over the passed few months I have had the good fortune, sort of, to have been using a certain well known hand held vacuum cleaner which has one of the best brands written on it and when you hear the name you instantly think of quality suction and long lasting equipment.Then brand I am talking about is in fact called Dyson, you know the name, with this particular cleaner being called the Dyson DC.

As I said, I, and the wife, but not the kids as they are a pair of lazy little imps, have been using this for a while now and decided that I had enough experience with it to allow me to give my honest opinion, so here is it.

But first, allow me to get the technical bits out of the way with...

It's a bagless handheld cleaner which is famous for never losing suction no matter what.It has a 40 air watt which is powered by a 14.8 volt motor, which is powered by the 22.2 volt battery.The battery itself is litium-ion which, according to the leaflet, claims to charge around three time faster than normal batteries. It takes around 3.5 hours to fully charge and from this you get around 15 minutes of average cleaning power or just 6 minutes on full power.It's not the smallest of machines, with the main unit being about 220mm high by 320mm wide and 115mm deep, although it weighs in at a very lightweight 2kg, (approx), which makes it easy to handle for the full length of its battery life.The actual dust container holds up to .35 litres of 'dust and stuff', which doesn't sound a lot but it is a hand held device not a full size unit.

That's the basics of this handheld that some people may be interested in, such as size, power and weight.

So, once out of the box I was ready to give it a test run, but first I had to charge the battery up fully so as to check that it's claims of how long the battery takes to charge and how long a full charge last was true, and it pretty much was.Charging it was a matter of taking the battery, slotting the charger into a little 'port' in the battery and setting it on charge, which took just under the 3 and a half hours it claims, although this could be down to the fact that the battery had a bit of charge in it from the factory tests. But during my time using it it has never taken more than 3.5 hours to fully charge.

NOTE:To charge the battery you do have to take it out of the unit, and then simply slot the charger connector into place in the battery. There is a little light on the charger plug which tells you the battery power situation, whether it is fully charged or not, even letting you know if the battery is failing to charge for some reason.

Once the battery is fully charged it then slots into place underneath the handle itself of the unit, (so for the little boy inside you it's almost like sliding a magazine into a pistol, and I bet you treat it like a gun sometimes...).The claim that you can get 15 minutes of 'normal' power and 6 minutes on full power are a little on the excessive side. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a lie, I'm just saying that when they did the tests they must have used another type of machine or even a bigger battery as I have never had near 15 minutes on normal power, more like just over ten minutes, to be honest. And as for the 6 minutes of full power, well, I'm lucky to get four minutes, but mainly get around three minutes, which is a bit of a let down if the spill I'm wanting to clean is left half done due to the fact that I've got to put the battery on charge for another 3 hours just to finish the job, in fact it's quicker to get the upright out rather than wait for the battery to charge, which defeats the purpose of the need for a handheld vacuum cleaner. But, regardless of how much charge is in the battery the suction power doesn't alter at all really, in fact, the only reason you do know that the battery needs charging is when the LED indicator starts flashing, or the thing just stops, which it does.

It does look a little on the strange side as well, almost as if someone threw an industrial power drill into a bucket, tossed in a mini vacuum cleaner, left them to mate, then pulled out what they had made, creating this strange, yet very powerful sucker indeed. The motor is above the handle but doesn't get that hot as to force you to drop it on the floor to save yourself from a scolding and the handle is very comfortable to hold, with the trigger being in the perfect position to pull with your finger.As I said it's not the smallest of hand held cleaners, in fact its quite a beast in itself, albeit an orange/yellow and silver beast. The orange/yellow bit is being the suction section, whilst the silver bit is the heart of the beast, which you hold from beneath. But apart from the orange/yellow and silver there is a bit of red, not a lot, just a bit, such as the trigger itself and the catch which you flick to empty the dust chamber.I have seen it in a blue colour and a purple one too, although they may do them in a multi choice of colours for all I know, but the orange one is the one I have.

There are a few attachments which come with this unit, with each attachment clicking into place using a sturdy, yet simple button which is situated just above the main units hose, the one which is attached to the filter housing itself.Each attachment clicks into place and has it's own job to do, with the combination tool having a brush on the end and a wide nozzle which slides out from the middle of the bristles. The there's the long crevice tube which, as the name states, is for getting into those crevices. Finally there's the motorized brush which has a spinning brush in the middle, this is designed for getting deep into carpets to clean things like hairs and the like. This motorised brush works when the air gets sucked through it, forcing the brush hot spin, and doing so does tend to drain the battery a little faster.The motorised brush tool does sometimes get bunged up, especially with long dog hairs or even the odd show lace or two, but it's easy to unclog it with a twist of the locking catch at the end of the unit, then pulling the entire 'spinning' centre out. The 'clogging' can then be pulled away with ease and then you push it back into place and re-lock the catch... job done.

Emptying the dust chamber is a simple matter of pressing a button and releasing the base of the see through bucket, allowing it 'flop' open on the single hinge. But do open it over a bin as the dust does drop out.There is a washable filter in the middle of the device and to get to this is another click of a button on the top and sliding the front and back section apart. Then just run the filter under running water and let it dry properly before replacing it back into place. But, according to the instructions, you have to let it dry for at least 12 hours before replacing it into the unit.

NOTE:You can buy extra attachments for this, although I haven't bought any of them as yet, such as a wide flooring tool, a soft Dusting brush, a bendable extendable hose and more, which all clip into place to aid in cleaning the dirt from around your home.

As for the price, this is where it gets a bit 'gob smacking', as this hand held cleaner sells for between £110 and £150, yes you read it right, a massive hundred and fifty pounds for what is essentially something that sucks up a bit of dirt for a short period of time. We were given this as a gift from a friend who'd 'up grade' to a different modal, so we didn't actually have to pay for it, which is lucky for me really.But would I have paid £150 for it? NO, not for the few minutes you get from the battery, even if it's a powerful unit indeed and can suck a splinter out of you finger, (almost), but £150 is really steep indeed, even if it is a Dyson.I may have bought one if the price was below the hundred pound mark but even then I'd have had to think hard about it, mainly due to the fact that there are much cheaper handhelds on the market which will do the same cleaning, maybe taking a little longer to do so, but the battery lasts a bit longer.

In all, a powerful handheld bagless cleaner which never loses suction, but on the downside the battery doesn't last long enough to clean up all some messes and the price is a bit on the eye watering side.

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If its possible to find a cleaner sexy then this is one sexy little beast, can't recommend it enough

Why I wanted it

When I bought this I had 2 cat, a new very fluffy rug in the living room and working as a childminder who had 7 children in the house throughout different parts of the day a house that seemed perminantly full of crumbs!

The appliance

This has a nice big capacity for a hand held. It is heavier than most but not too heavy. The filters are easily taken out and can be washed under a running tap so ideal for someone like me that is useless at maintaining stuff. It runs for 6 mins on full power which I tend to use it on but you can press a little button which reduces the amount of power it uses and then it lasts for 10 mins, wlthough this does of course reduce suction. Set on this level is fine so crumbs on laminate flooring though.

Comes with different tools, my only bug bear is the crevice tool could be a little thinner (this seems to be my bug bear with all crevice tools though!) It is however a longer crevice tool than most which is good. This is quite a big handheld as such it can be awkward to get in places like under car seats. Dyson however have thought of this and not only can you buy lots more tools for the handheld you can also buy an extension tube, a bit like the tubes on cylinder cleaners.

This is currently available on the dyson website for £169.99.

Why I love it

With the big rug in my living room I was forever picking fluff up off the floor, now not only can I use this machine instead of getting the big one out the kids think its a great toy and do it for me, fab!

I generally use it for my stairs, the car, crumbs and spilt food int the kitchen (an every meal time job with 3 children under 5 plus my borrowed ones!) I refitted my kitchen myself last year so it was up to me to clean up and this was great. Because it doesn't have conventional filters you can pick up all the brick dust, drill dust, woodshavings etc, and not only does it not kill the machine (like our old upright did) it also maintains its power!

I have had this a while now, as i said I'm pretty rubbish at maintaining stuff and although the instructions say to do it much more often I have only cleaned the filters twice and its still going strong, no probs at all. Unlike a lot of cleaners, handheld or not this doesn't smell at all when you are cleaning either.

This is so good that when my current cylinder cleaner dies I'm contemplating buying the DC35 or its attachments if I can for use on this one and using it as my main cleaner!

Also on the plus side it doesn't loose any suction power as the battery is running low, on the negative side this means that if you've happily used it a few times and put it away you can on occaion go to use it, get about 10 secs of power then it dies! Maybe I should get a little pad to note down how long I've used it for each time, lol.

The downside

It takes ages to charge, approx 3.5 hrs, this is understandable due to the power of it but frustrating if its a little job you want to do quickly, especially as I've had it drummed into me that you must do a complete charge each time, because if you do frequent little charges it will kill the battery. You must press the button to use it, whilst this is good on the battery, if i use it for the full life of the battery, 6-10 mins I get finger cramp!

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I want one!

I donlt actually own one of these, my parents do, and one of the perks of a visit to see them is a quick go on this gorgeous vacuum cleaner. Albeit the battery doesn't last long (the one downside) and it could do with a few more attachments (ok, another downside) for a handheld cleaner, this is fab.I have one of those cars that seems to acquire every crump, leaf, twig, etc that every goes near it. This handy piece of kit is a gem and finding them and giving my backseats and footwells a new lease of life! On occassions I wish it could be more powerful (but think that's largely to do with the length of time between cleans) but despite that the speed and easiness of use actually encourages me to clean my car....amazing but true! The bottom line is, if my Mum's broke and she wasn't going to replace it I think I would have to get one. Although my predominant use is the car, it is handy around the house in a multitude of ways, any spillages, animal hair, sofas and much more. This is a very good invention and design.

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One of the best out there

Having Purchased a Dyson upright Vacuum about a year ago, and being extremely pleased with it, I decided a few months back to purchase a Dyson handheld vacuum.

At my place of work we have used the Dyson DC31 Animal for approaching 2 years, and I always found it a very effective tool, and so it was a simple decision to buy the same handheld vacuum to use around my house.

My reasons for wanting a handheld vacuum were mainly to compliment the upright vacuum, but also to assist with vacuuming jobs that the upright vacuum was not all that good at - such as vacuuming small areas, like the car for example. It is also much easier and more effective than having to use a brush and pan, and saves the effort of getting out the large upright vacuum for little spills, or to clear a few crumbs off the floor!Another bonus to the handheld vacuum is that there is no electrical lead, and so it is very quick and easy to grab hold of and take virtually anywhere that it may be required.

~~~ The Dyson DC31 Animal ~~~

The DC31 is very attractive to look at, stylishly coloured in silver and purple, with a clear collection pot. It is lightweight, weighing in at only 1.5 kg, and is easy to lift, and hold in one hand while vacuuming.The power that this little vacuum creates is awesome, and it purrs along smoothly and confidently while running, not in the irritating way that others do. Dyson claim that the Dyson digital motor in the new generation of Dyson handhelds spins at up to 104,000 rpm - that's five times faster than the engine of a Formula 1 racing car!

As mentioned above this vacuum has no electrical lead, instead it has a powerful lithium ion battery which powers the vacuum. This battery is plugged into the mains when it requires charging. When fully charged it has 6 minutes of power on the high 65AirWatts setting (which is very, very powerful) or 10 minutes on the low setting (38 AirWatts).

The Animal part of the name is there because this vacuum is designed for dealing with animal hair collection. We have a very long haired cat (see profile pic), who sheds fluff and fur really badly throughout most of the year, and so it is a constant struggle to remove his hair from the carpet, furnishings and clothing. Our upright Dyson vacuum deals with the carpet very well, but this little DC31 is the ideal piece of kit to tackle the furniture, sofa, bedding, and clothing. It removes the hair easily, and it is amazing how much is visible through the clear collection pot after just a few minutes vacuuming.The DC31 manages this with help a motorised brush bar with stiff bristles that rotate to effectively remove pet hair from all sorts of tight spaces.

The dust collection pot has a 0.35 litre capacity, and is clear which makes it obvious to see when it needs emptying. The pot has a quick release slide catch which makes emptying it very easy, with just a simple push of the switch, the bottom of the pot swings open, and ejects the contents.

~~~ Cost ~~~

Dyson claim that the DC31 Animal is one of the most powerful handheld vacuums available with no loss of suction due to the patented Root Cyclone technology, and this is very evident when using it.I paid £135 for my DC31 a few months back, and for this price I got a fantastic little handheld vacuum, complete with:

I highly recomend this little vacuum, it is very powerful, simple to use, lightweight, and looks the part! It is a lot more expensive than other makes, but the quality is second to none, and the 2 Year guarantee provides great piece of mind.

The DC 31 is currently available on Amazon for £126:80 with free delivery!

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Pricey but worth it

Okay, I own three vacuum cleaners. Now I know that makes me sound like a saddo, or a touch obsessive, but let me explain. I have no desire to do housework; in fact I consider it to be like death and taxes - nasty but inevitable. However, I have two dogs, a German Shepherd and a German Shepherd-Labrador cross, as they both have long hair I find myself spending far more time than I really want to attempting to remove their hair from my carpets. Anything that makes this Sisyphean task easier and quicker is great. For a couple of years I have been looking for a good handheld vacuum cleaner. I've tried plenty of makes and models during this time and my experiences with most handheld vacuums almost put me off the whole idea. I found they generally had less power than a clockwork toy, and I now have a collection of four useless and unwanted ones gathering dust in my garage. However, my parents recently bought a Dyson DC31 Animal Handheld vacuum, to take when they go on holiday in their caravan. I tried it out when I visited them, and was so impressed I ordered by own from the Dyson website that evening. It cost £159.99 from Dyson, with free delivery. Although this is pretty expensive I really do believe you get what you pay for with handheld vacuums, my previous disappointing experiences with cheaper models is evidence of this!

The Dyson DC31 Animal handheld arrived within 2 days, they offer free next day delivery but I ordered it too late in the evening, and I wanted to try it out straight away. It advises that you charge the battery fully before the first use - but I've never been known for my patience, and I just couldn't wait. The lithium-ion battery takes 3.5 hours to fully charge from empty. The battery is the heaviest part of the machine, and clips onto the bottom of the unit. Even with the battery attached it is still a lightweight cleaner that is easy and comfortable to use, it doesn't make my arm ache at all. The box states the vacuum weighs 3.8 lbs. It is ergonomically designed, well balanced and feels nice to hold and comfortable to use. The power button is easily accessible during use. There are two power levels, normal and turbo, a fully charged battery lasts for about 6 - 8 minutes on the turbo setting and about 10 - 12 minutes on the normal setting. I find this is sufficient time for my needs. It also comes with a 12v charging lead that you can plug in - ideal for cleaning cars.

I invested in this handheld vacuum primarily to quickly and easily clean my dogs' favourite spots; the patches of carpet where they tend to spend most of their time lying down and frequently get covered in hair, without the inconvenience of getting out my main Dyson. Since purchasing it though, I found a multitude of uses for it. This handheld vacuum makes loads of little jobs much easier; I now use it to vacuum the stairs (this used to be a precarious balancing act as the lead on my main vacuum wasn't really long enough for the job), to vacuum the car, removing dog hair from upholstery and to do a quick tidy up of small areas in between my main cleans.

Like all Dysons, it doesn't have a bag; instead the debris is collected in a transparent chamber. I like this feature as it makes me feel the job was worth doing when I can see what I've picked up. This chamber is released from the main unit simply by depressing a small plastic button. I broke this catch on my main Dyson, my fault as I was quite rough with it and it's only plastic after all, so I've been a little more gentle with this catch on my handheld, and I've experienced no problems in the couple of months I've had it. This chamber has a 0.9 gallon capacity, so there is plenty of space. It is easy to empty and clean. The vacuum itself feels very sturdy and robust, and I've been impressed with the level of suction power. Although not quite as powerful as my standard Dyson, it is exceptionally good for a handheld and I can't fault the results it produces. It's much quieter than standard Dysons, although in all honesty I can't describe it as whisper-quiet, I am able to carry on a normal conversation when I'm using it. The real noise test is my dogs though, and they are not bothered by this vacuum at all, even when I'm using it close to them, with my main one they leave the room as soon as I turn it on.

It comes with three tools, and when I bought it there was an offer of a free extendable hose (worth £18.00). I find this extendable hose really useful, particularly when cleaning my car, as it allows me to reach into all the nooks and crannies. The standard tools provided with this vacuum are a crevice tool, with a narrower aperture, a combination tool, which is a brush tool ideal for upholstery and can be converted to a basic floor nozzle by sliding the brush section upwards - genius!, and a motorised brush bar. This motorised brush bar is the tool I use most frequently as it is very effective at picking up pet hair. The only downside of this is that because the interior of the brush bar rotates, seriously fast, I find that my hair can get tangled around the internal bar and I need to remove it by hand periodically. By this I mean any of my hairs that happen to be on the floor - not the hair on my head! This doesn't happen with my dogs' hair because it is shorter, only with my long hair. A similar thing happens with my main Dyson, and for me it is a small price to pay, and not much of an inconvenience, for a vacuum that is this powerful and effective.

The Dyson DC31 Animal is powered by Dysons new digital motor, because this is lighter than conventional electric motors they have been able to produce a smaller and lighter model without compromising on power. As with all Dysons this model uses their patented Root Cyclone Technology. I'm not the most technically minded person, but my understanding is that it generates and uses centrifugal force, to force the air and dirt to spin at high speed, then, because the dirt is heavier than the air it drops into the waste chamber whilst the airflow continues to spin. As a result the force is continuous, allowing Dyson to claim "no loss of suction". It comes with a 2 year parts and labour guarantee, and Dyson also have a telephone helpline which I contacted when I broke a part on my main Dyson, and I found them to be extremely helpful. Dyson is a UK company, with its headquarters in the Cotswolds, but it has offices worldwide. James Dyson originally designed an industrial cyclone tower in 1978, to solve a problem he identified with spray-finishing, he evolved this principle to produce the bag-less vacuum cleaner. James Dyson also attended the London Royal College of Art, and a clear consideration for visual appeal as well as function is evident in all Dysons products. To encourage young people to take an interest in engineering, James Dyson has set up the James Dyson Foundation, where students get practical hands-on experience of tackling engineering challenges.

Overall I really can't recommend this vacuum highly enough, particularly to pet owners. It is certainly not a replacement for a full size vacuum, it would take forever to vacuum a whole house with it, but if you are looking for a handheld cleaner for small areas, you won't get better than this.

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A brilliant appliance for anyone who needs to pick up spills quickly and easily.

We bought our Dyson DC31 Animal a few months ago because we have 2 toddlers who leave a trail of crumbs whereever they go.

By the time I get the upright vacuum out of the cupboard and plugged in, the number of crumbs has usually doubled.

I also find getting the big vacuum out with a 3 year old hanging off one leg and a 1 year old off the other quite tricky.

We haven't got any animals but a friend recommended that we get the 'animal' because the motorised attatchment is very useful - and they were absolutely right: I was amazed by how much fluff and hair it found even on floors that had already been vacuumed. Especially good for getting the black sock fluff my husband leaves everywhere.

We got our Dyson DC31 Animal for £137 which I felt was quite a good deal.

I was impressed that it had a little bit of charge in it when we opened it up so we could give it a try straight away. After being charged for 3.5 hours it has 6 minutes of power on the high 65AirWatts setting (which is very powerful) or 10 minutes on the low setting (38 AirWatts). For comparison full power on the DC30 is 40Airwatts.You'll be surprised at how much you can do in that time, a flight of stairs is no problem - I can't quite do the whole inside of the car thoroughly in this time but it is ok for giving it a quick freshen up.

The bin capacity is 0.35 litres, which I thought sounded small when I read it but 1)you'll only be using it for a maximum of 6 - 10 minutes at a time and 2) it's really simpe to empty the bin. Just push a button down and the flap on the bottom opens dropping the dirt straight into the bin. However this button on ours has been a bit sticky so not always the hygienic operation that was promised but still relatively easy.

It comes with clear instructions, a 2 year warrenty, washable filter, battery and charger, Combination accessory tool for general debris and dusting, Crevice tool for down the side of the sofa etc, Motorised brush head for hairs and fluff.

Something I really like about it is that the rotar bar in the motorised brush head is easily removed so you can pull off all the long hairs, bits of thread and so on that get wrapped round it.

The power doesn't gradually fade. It gives full power suction until the battery runs out and then just stops.

I know it says not to let children use it but mine are very persistent and I think it shows how light and easy it is to use that my 3 year old can use it. It weighs about 1.5kg with the motorised brush on it.

I tend to use it instead of my old upright vaccuum now for everything except the large floor areas. It means I can pick up spills as they happen. Also great for clearing up the pile of dust my hubby makes everytime he does a bit of DIY.

We leave in on charge whenever its not in use. I can't find anything to say not to do this and it means it's fully charged whenever I need it.

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slightly costly, but gd things cost more don't they!

Forget the old style handheld cleaners, here Dyson has truly provided us something that lives up to its brand name. Unlike a lot of old handheld cleaners DC31 has alot of power cleans really well.

At first it takes some time to get used to, being honest it resembles more like a power tool you find in the garage. Though I say that the small extension at the head makes it incredibly easy to clean in the hard to reach places. I use it mainly for the car, where you can get to the back of the seats and hard to reach places. A full charge gets me in the region of about 14-18min worth of cleaning.

It is a slightly costly compared to other handhelds but then for the power and the ergonomics I don't think you can really complain. Make sure you put this one on your wish list!!

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Dyson good quality perfect pick up , but cumbersome to hold

This is rather a weird looking vacuum ,it comes with four attachments for cleaning, as with all other Dyson's it has cyclone technology and a very strong suction.This Dyson is handy for small spills or for cleaning the stairs.the main attachment has a small brush that grabs at animal hairs to pick them up,and the other attachments also have their own uses( although I haven't actually used them yet)This vacuum is supposed to be hand held,which by its definition suggests that it is easy to manoeuvre,unfortunately this isn't the case,it is very awkward to hold for any length of time and after a few minutes starts feeling heavy.The benefits though outweigh the negatives,it comes with a mount for you to mount it on the wall, but be sure to place this near an available electrical socket as you will need to plug it in every time the vacuum needs recharging.Very handy for cleaning the car or small spills inside the house,we have ours mounted in the garage and only bring it indoors when needed.Takes up little space and is a very effective cleaner.The indicator on the vacuum just beneath the handle flashes red to indicate when it needs recharging,it gives you about ten minutes notice before the device goes dead,so be sure if you are going to use it on a regular basis you keep it recharged.Cleaning the bin is simple you just pull it out and empty it give it a wipe and you're ready to go the next time.I didn't pay as much for mine as i got it in the sale for the bargain price of £89.00,if you do pay full price for it though I would say that it is worth the money.

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well worth borrowing one before you buy - recommended

Hubby comes home with some quite random items sometimes & last month I thought he'd treated himself to (yet another) very large drill but in fact it was a Dyson DC31 handheld vacuum cleaner.

I've never seen a vacuum quite like this & have to admit I was initially a bit dubious as it seemed quite heavy & awkward plus it takes 3.5 hours to charge & you can only use it continuously for about 10 minutes.

I also thought he was crazy paying over £100 for it (Costco) as it was seemingly just to stop me moaning about cat & dog hairs - but now I've got used to it I just love it!

We have a Henry vacuum which is heavy & cumbersome plus awkward to use on the stairs. I wouldn't part with 'him' for the world as it's a great machine but have started to use the Dyson DC31 much more often as it's great for sucking up crumbs, hairs, dried pet food, dust etc. It's also a brilliant vacuum for the stairs, corners, skirting boards & picture rails - in fact. apart from large areas, I use this most of the time for getting into all those nooks & crannies which are hard to reach with a larger machine (even when using the right tool).

It took a bit of getting used to but basically it's straightforward & it has 3 tools with it - 2 different-sized brush heads which are great on carpets & rugs plus a long narrow attachment which is the one I use to get into corners. All you need do is unclick the required attachment & they each lock firmly into place as required.

There's no bag to bother with & thanks to the clear & easy to understand leaflet it was easy enough to see how it empties straight into the bin without having to touch any of the dirt/mess. The leaflet is full of clear, large diagrams which makes using the vacuum simple (even for me!). It also shows how you can clean the filter & attachments & take it apart to reach any obstruction you may have so I can't really see any reason why you'd ever have to pay for servicing (touch wood!).

It has a high power/low power facility but I've only used the high one so far & it has great sucking power - I was amazed, but also shocked, to see how much dirt it lifted even after using Henry & am a happy bunny when I see it all going in the bin.

There's a free 2 year guarantee with this animal which seems to cover those who've used it as instructed in the manual & followed all the trouble-shooting prompts so Dyson must be pretty confident in this newish addition to their family.

I'll just add the following information for those who understand more about electrical appliances than I do! -- 200 watts- 65 AW- 22.2v Li-ion battery- bin capacity 0.35 litres

summary~- expensive but works really well.- great sucking power.- handy to use on stairs & in awkward, hard-to-reach areas.- quite heavy (I'm guessing around 6lbs with attachment?) but much easier & quicker to use than a standard vacuum cleaner.- takes around 3.5 hours to charge but you get around 10 minutes to clean which is enough for me thanks!- easy to maintain, clean, take apart & put back thanks to clear & well produced manual.- has a 2 year (limited) guarantee.- I'd recommend borrowing one before paying the RRP of around £140 as although it suits us it may not be as useful for others.

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Product Details

The Dyson DC31 is a powerful handheld vacuum with a dual power mode that performs 10 mins of high constant suction or 6 minutes with 70% higher suction which is ideal for quick pick-ups and spot cleaning / It includes dual power mode that gives longer run-time for large jobs or extra power suction for stubborn dirt / It includes a Dyson digital motor which is three times faster than the other vacuum cleaners.Dual power mode, 10 mins of high constant suction or 6 minutes with 70% higher suction.Lightweight, just 1.3kg for easy handling / 22.2V lithium-ion battery recharges up to 3x faster than others / LED low battery power indicator / Quick and hygienic emptying, just push the button / Wide debris nozzle/brush tool and crevice tool / 2 year parts and labour guarantee / Short name: Dyson DC31